Triticum Taxonomy

Wheat belongs to the genus Triticum, for which there are 10 species, six which are cultivated and four which are not. The most economically important species, T. aestivum, has five subspecies (18, 19).

There are many taxonomic classification systems used for wheat species, which causes confusion and controversy between researchers (1, 14). For instance, one area of controversy is in genus classification. Some people classify it as one large genus (Triticum sensu lato), while others classify wheat as two separate genera (Triticum and Aegilops). There are several sources on this issue. See also: